


Outliers

by Okami01



Series: Felix Rarepair Week 2021 [3]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Awkward Crush, F/M, Felix Hugo Fraldarius is Bad at Feelings, Fluff, POV Alternating, Pining, Post-Time Skip, Swordfighting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-28
Updated: 2021-01-28
Packaged: 2021-03-14 19:13:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29051190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Okami01/pseuds/Okami01
Summary: " Most times," Dorothea says, moving carefully, her voice soft and quiet. He knows she can shout. But she sounds good like this too. Almost like she's singing and he likes that more than he'd like to admit.They were just fighting before she insisted on eating together. Felix is hungry. They both need to eat."...The people that I seek the company of don't want to fight.'" That's boring."" Well…Felix.  You're an outlier, I'd say."___For Felix Rarepair Week! - Music/Dance
Relationships: Dorothea Arnault/Felix Hugo Fraldarius
Series: Felix Rarepair Week 2021 [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2128200
Kudos: 5





	Outliers

" Why didn't you just spar with me in the first place?" Felix asks Dorothea. He isn't sure why he cares. There's little he can think about to talk about while they're sitting together at the dining hall. 

" Most times," Dorothea says, moving carefully, her voice soft and quiet. He knows she can shout. But she sounds good like this too. Almost like she's singing and he likes that more than he'd like to admit. 

They were just fighting before she insisted on eating together. Felix is hungry. They both need to eat. 

"...The people that I seek the company of don't want to fight.'

" That's boring."

" Well…Felix. You're an outlier, I'd say."

Felix shrugs. " I don't care about what other nobles say. But I-"

' I'm a major crest bearer and people act ridiculous over crests and I'm tired of it. The crest of Fraldarius is like a cursed sword that I never wanted in the first place but have to use if we want any chance in winning this stupid war.'

He doesn't say anything else. She's waiting for him too but he doesn't know why she cares anyway. From what he can tell, it's not like she's only talking to him for his crest. He'd used to think that but now. Maybe she's different. 

Even if she wasn't, it's not like he's some fool easily swayed by fools with ulterior motives. 

Dorothea can fight and she can sing.   
" You have that thing… that you want me to go too?"

She looks at him, startled like she was before when they were fighting and he hadn't held back. 

" The opera?"

" Yes, I'll come to that."

Dorothea shakes her head. " Definitely an outlier.

___

The thing is, Felix does enjoy the opera. Perhaps more than he'd like to admit. Music is a distraction really. All those lights and ridiculous costumes. But Dorothea standing up on stage saying lines about a story that he finds himself engrossed in and singing music that he wishes he could hear over and over again, it wasn't a waste to come to this. 

Thankfully, there are so many people swarming around her that she won't get the chance to ask him how it was.

It was beautiful. 

And for some reason, seeing all those people around her and watching her smile causes him to push through the crowd. 

" Your song is beautiful," he says. She looks at him and smiles. In some red dress with green earrings that match her eyes. She smiles and winks at him.

" Why thank you, Felix, I'm glad you could make it."

" Yeah," he replies. Before learning the way he came.

___

After seeing Dorothea up there. Graceful as anything. And listening to her dance. And seeing her fight. Both him and on the battlefield.

It occurs to Felix that there may be only one course of action to take. He's not above asking. 

" Can you… teach me how to fight better? I won that stupid competition but I,' 

Could probably be even better if you taught me.

"...We could spar again?"

" The competition wasn't stupid. And you did a well enough job back then, you know."

" Of course. I wanted to win."

Dorothea had done well there too. 

He'd thought of asking her for tips then. Only asking help from an enemy at the time hadn't seemed like a good idea.

But Dorothea was graceful and hard to beat then and now. 

" That sword technique… that you learn in the dancer class… the professor told me that it gets better when you're more graceful and you're that. Graceful."

Dorothea smiles. " I suppose I should appreciate the fact that you're so eager." She stands. Elegance and barely hidden ferocity that he needs to see. "Let's go then."

__

Felix tries to lunge attack immediately but Dorothea moves away. Dances away really. With a hum and a certain amount of ease that gets on his nerves for some reason.

" What are you doing?" He asks.

She twirls her sword around in a graceful arc. " You want me to show you. A fight is a little like a dance. And I think you know the steps well enough…"

" But-"

" You're too stiff and I think you rely on your magic not often enough."

Fire fizzles in her hand. Of course, it's fire magic. Felix doesn't care for any magic but the warmth sort of suits her. 

" And when you're a dancer on the battlefield, you have to think about how your movements affect your allies. Does it look inspiring and graceful or choppy and unrefined?"

" It doesn't matter. Any of that."

"Hmmm. I just want the sword technique."

Dorothea shrugs. Even that, seems like a graceful thing.

" Let's try again."

_

They fight. Felix tries a lighting spell. Dorothea counters with her fire. The air around them heats and shimmers and crackles. Felix nearly rolls his eyes. On the battlefield, it's not some easy beautiful thing. 

He fires another spell to her right and attacks with his sword to her left. Dorothea steps out of the way of the fire and into his strike. She parries. Their swords clang together. She stares at him before twirling away, shifting her weight and firing another spell. 

Felix dodges, barely. She's trying to get him to use his magic more. 

But if he could just get closer he'd be able to win, he thinks. Which is probably why Dorothea is keeping him away mostly. Smart. She's not as strong as he is but she is strong, smart, and skilled in magic. 

She all but floats off the ground. Casting over and over, never quite stopping her movements. She dances just out of reach. Slashes and pivots effortlessly around the training grounds. 

Still, it might work for her but this definitely isn't his style. It does seem to suit her

___

So many rumors about people are wrong. But, Dorothea thinks. Maybe they aren't all false. 

Felix is a boy who loves swords. Well, they're both older now. He's always seemed serious in some ways. But at the same time, sort of a weirdo. Even more in some ways. 

He's still strange and elusive. It really seems like he doesn't care about the crest system. Which is easier for him not to, being part of the system in the first place. He has that luxury. He can afford to. 

But it's an effort he's making anyway and it admirably a little nice. 

Even if he never truly uses it. Outside of battle. The nobility could crumble around itself and all he'd care about was winning. Surviving. Keeping his friends safe. He's endearing in a way. 

Sometimes she wonders if he would still be like he is if he wasn't a Faldarious. But, just like his attacks. Steadfast, determined, never wavering, that might just be how he is.

It's endearing. And he's fun to tease. 

Still, if he isn't going to hold back, neither will she.

Dorothea watches the dark strains of his hair come loose from his bun and stick to his face 

It's strange. Most men wouldn't want to see her all sweaty and exerting herself 

They're at war, makeup and performances aside sometimes you just have to fight. He can fight too. Dorothea doesn't necessarily need anyone to sweep her off her feet. Felix isn't that. It might be a little strange in showing it but she knows he respects her. 

Felix steps forward, lunging for her. By now he's gotten better at defending himself against her spells. Good for him. 

And maybe it's because he knows she isn't in any danger as far as he's concerned but she steps forward as well. Their swords meet again. She pivots to the side and twists her sword into his, until he shifts forward slightly. 

The focus in his eyes seems to dissipate. But they're both still panting. He blinks and moves forward. 

" Ah, that's good, Felix." She praises. 

" You're a good teacher." He pants. 

He looks at her and smiles, before looking down at her sword. Fire and lighting and overexertion but she thinks he's blushing just being close to her. 

Smiling a little. But sparring seems to do that to him.

" It's nice doing this sort of thing but I'd rather do a different type of dance with you." She whispers

She takes her free hand and brushes it up against his side. 

Felix looks at the ground. " I like sword fighting and sparring with you."

It's almost shocking, hearing him say that. It's such a strange thing but she knows it's genuine.

Felix lets his sword fall to the side. He'll look at her when she doesn't look at him and now she's sure it's some sort of shyness thing.   
" Oh really? " He'd managed to win the competition. He's a good dancer. And knowing the way Faerghus nobles are, he probably learned when he was a child. There's something funny about thinking of Felix trying to learn to dance when he was a child.

" Of course… I never liked it but-"

" You wanted to win."

" Yes…"

She waits. He breathes. Still not moving away. And she wonders if he will if she doesn't. Strangely competitive as he is in a way that doesn't always make sense.

" I don't like dancing with other people but watching you sing and dance is enjoyable, Dorothea." He looks at the ground again and sure enough, he is blushing. 

Felix sheaths his sword to his side and steps forward. Brushes his hand up against her and then moves back. Awkwardly and with less certainly than the entirety of their sparring season. Only slightly back before he starts cleaning his sword. 

Dorothea isn't exactly sure. She's never had to go around fishing for compliments from anyone. She doesn't doubt any of her abilities, though she does sometimes doubt the reason they're complimenting her.

Felix seems genuine. Like a socially awkward but genuine person who likes music and swords.

She moves her hair back behind her shoulders. " Thank you."

" I could clean yours too," he says holding a cloth, his eyes focused on his blade. 

She stifles a laugh and hands it over. " I should be thanking you. I'll get better at it… The dancing thing. Wouldn't want your teaching to go to waste."

" Heh, you don't need to worry about disappointing you."

He looks at her, stopping mid-cloth stroke. " It would be a waste otherwise. Well… sparring is never a waste actually."

She thinks he'll say something else but he doesn't. 

" Well then, do you want to get something to eat." 

" I guess so."

He moves over to the sword rack and puts her sword back. Dorothea has met a lot of nobles, some of them stranger possibly, but not ones she really liked.

" What about that song you sang before… is it connected to another storyline?"

She commends him for trying, in his own way as the go-to leave the training hall, starts talking about the opera.

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Felix Rarepair Week! This entire week it's just been me writing Felix attempting to date people and asking then to swordfight instead lol.
> 
> @Tavitay on twitter


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